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Toddler Is Passing Black Specks In Stool. Should I Be Concerned?

Posted on Tue, 16 Apr 2013

Question: My five month-old son had some black specks in his stool. We have never seen this before. He doesn't seem sick otherwise but I am concerned about it. He has had some gas today but nothing unusual. Apart from the black specks, his stool was of a normal color and consistency. He has eaten mostly breastmilk, one bottle of formula, and some congee (rice porridge), but only the liquid part, no solids. He has eaten all of these things before and I have never seen black specks in his stool.

Answered by Dr. Samik Basu (1 hour later)

Hi ,
Thank you for your query.
Do not panic.I can understand your concern.
Just keep a close watch on the baby's stool for some time.
If you see the specks once again do a stool test to exclude altered blood in stool.
It seems that your baby is otherwise fine...so continue with the feeds mentioned by you.
Consult your doctor if the problem persists.
If you have any further queries you are free to consult me.
Hope this answers your query.
Wishing a speedy recovery.
Have a nice day.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Samik Basu (9 hours later)

Is there something which would cause the black specks, other than blood?

Answered by Dr. Samik Basu (2 hours later)

Hi,
The food particles that you have mentioned do not cause black specks in stool.
Either it may be bile particles or it can be blood or any other foreign body ingested by the baby.Hope this answers your query.
Have a nice day

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar